Josef Newgarden recovered from a spin while trying to pass Scott McLaughlin to beat his team mate to victory at Gateway.
But the race winner drew the ire of several of his rivals, including team mate Will Power, who blamed his driving at a late-race restart for triggering a multi-car crash.
Newgarden led the field out of the final corner with eight laps to go at an unusually slow pace, so much so McLaughlin nudged the back of his car. Behind them Colton Herta slowed, Power backed off even more and was clouted by Alexander Rossi.
Other drivers piled in and the red flags flew in order to ensure the race did not end under caution. Power, who came into the race as the closest challenger to points leader Alex Palou, was livid, and laid the blame at the feet of his race-leading team mate. “He went, he stopped, he went, he stopped,” said Power.
Drivers from rival teams were even more blunt. “That’s dirty from Newgarden,” Herta told his Andretti crew. “That’s really dirty.”
After a lengthy stoppage, Newgarden led the field away for the final half-dozen laps with a much more conventional and effective restart. McLaughlin, who led much of the race, never had a look-in.
Newgarden took the lead in dramatic circumstances shortly before the race-stopping restart. He stalked McLaughlin at the front of the field, but slewed sideways as he came out of turn two, triggering a caution period.
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The two leading Penskes took that opportunity to pit but Power stayed out. He came in 13 laps after the next restart, which left him well-placed for the final stint. As Newgarden closed on McLaughlin once more, the pair new their final stop would likely leave them back behind Power.
Then Power came under attack from David Malukas, the only driver from outside the Penske camp who had seriously challenged their drivers all night. Power left the Meyer Shank driver with little room on the inside and Malukas spun into the barrier.
That triggered another caution period, under which McLaughlin and Newgarden pitted. Newgarden’s crew produced a remarkably quick tyre change of little more than five seconds (F1’s two-second stop are out of reach as IndyCar permits just one crew member per wheel, instead of three) which jumped him ahead.
That ultimately won him the race ahead of McLaughlin. Linus Lundqvist raced into third after passing Palou and Herta after the final restart. The latter was achieved despite a firm…
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